महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-80, verse-12

व्यास उवाच ।
गावः प्रतिष्ठा भूतानां तथा गावः परायणम् ।
गावः पुण्याः पवित्राश्च पावनं धर्म एव च ॥१२॥

12. vyāsa uvāca ,
gāvaḥ pratiṣṭhā bhūtānāṁ tathā gāvaḥ parāyaṇam ,
gāvaḥ puṇyāḥ pavitrāśca pāvanaṁ dharma eva ca.

12. vyāsaḥ uvāca gāvaḥ pratiṣṭhā bhūtānām tathā gāvaḥ
parāyaṇam gāvaḥ puṇyāḥ pavitrāḥ ca pāvanam dharmaḥ eva ca

12. vyāsaḥ uvāca gāvaḥ bhūtānām pratiṣṭhā tathā gāvaḥ
parāyaṇam gāvaḥ puṇyāḥ ca pavitrāḥ ca pāvanam dharmaḥ eva

12. Vyasa said: 'Cows are the foundation of all living beings, and similarly, cows are their ultimate refuge. Cows are meritorious and pure, and indeed they are the purifying natural law (dharma) itself.'

Words meanings summery:

• व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - Vyasa (name of a sage)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

• प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā) - foundation, support, establishment, abode

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of all living beings (of beings, of creatures)

• तथा (tathā) - similarly (thus, so, similarly, also)

• गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

• परायणम् (parāyaṇam) - ultimate refuge, supreme goal, final resort

• गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

• पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - meritorious, sacred, auspicious

• पवित्राः (pavitrāḥ) - pure, holy, purifying

• च (ca) - and, also

• पावनम् (pāvanam) - purifying, sanctifying, purificatory

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness

• एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, truly, just, only)

• च (ca) - and, also

Words meanings and morphology

व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - Vyasa (name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyāsa

vyāsa - Vyasa, a famous sage, compiler (of Vedas, Mahabharata)

From vi (apart) + ās (to sit) or vyās (to divide, arrange).

Prefix: vi

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect

Third person singular perfect active. Strong form uvāca.

Root: vac (class 2)

गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, bull, cattle, earth, ray of light

o-stem noun

Note: Subject of the sentences.

प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā) - foundation, support, establishment, abode

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pratiṣṭhā

pratiṣṭhā - foundation, basis, support, establishment, fame, status, abode

From prati (towards) + root sthā (to stand).

Prefix: prati

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative for gāvaḥ. Implies "are the foundation".

भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of all living beings (of beings, of creatures)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, element, past (as participle of bhū)

Past Passive Participle

From root bhū (to be, become). Used substantively.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Qualifies pratiṣṭhā.

तथा (tathā) - similarly (thus, so, similarly, also)

(indeclinable)

Adverb

गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, bull, cattle, earth, ray of light

o-stem noun

Note: Subject of the sentences.

परायणम् (parāyaṇam) - ultimate refuge, supreme goal, final resort

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of parāyaṇa

parāyaṇa - ultimate aim, final destination, supreme resort, chief object

Compound: para (supreme) + ayaṇa (going, course, resort)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (para+ayaṇa)

• para – supreme, highest, utmost, excellent
  adjective (masculine)
• ayaṇa – going, course, path, resort, refuge
  noun (neuter)
  From root i (to go) + ana suffix
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Predicate nominative for gāvaḥ.

गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, bull, cattle, earth, ray of light

o-stem noun

Note: Subject of the sentences.

पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - meritorious, sacred, auspicious

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of puṇya

puṇya - good, virtuous, sacred, meritorious, auspicious

From root puṇ (to be pure).

Root: puṇ (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective for gāvaḥ.

पवित्राः (pavitrāḥ) - pure, holy, purifying

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of pavitra

pavitra - pure, holy, sacred; a purifier, filter, a means of purification

From root pū (to purify).

Root: pū (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective for gāvaḥ.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction

पावनम् (pāvanam) - purifying, sanctifying, purificatory

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pāvana

pāvana - purifying, sacred, holy; a purifier, the act of purifying

From root pū (to purify) + ana suffix, indicating agent or instrument.

Root: pū (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective for dharmaḥ.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, religion, justice

From root dhṛ (to uphold, support) + man suffix.

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative for gāvaḥ (implied gāvaḥ dharmaḥ - cows are the dharma).

एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, truly, just, only)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction